How to Connect Xbox Controller to iPhone has been explained in this article with clear pictures to make the process easier and understandable
Microsoft recently released the Xbox app for Android and iOS. With this new app, you can access your Xbox games library on your mobile device from virtually anywhere in your home. Not to be confused with xCloud. The new Xbox app uses your internal console to stream games. This means that it depends entirely on your local network. This will theoretically help reduce stuttering and provide minimal response times, which should result in a fun gaming experience.
While to Connect Xbox Controller to iPhone is a cool feature, you will likely still need your Xbox controller to play the games which now need to be paired with your iOS device. If you don’t know how to pair an Xbox controller with your iPhone or iPad, just follow the guide below.
How to Connect Xbox Controller to iPhone
To connect Xbox controller to iPhone put your Xbox controller in pairing mode by pressing and holding the Xbox button and the pairing button on top. Once the light on the Xbox button starts to blink, you can let go of it.
Now go to your iOS device and turn on Bluetooth.
Wait for the driver to appear in the Available Devices section.
Once the controller appears, tap on it and the iOS device should automatically pair with the controller.
And that’s it! You can now use the re-paired Xbox controller to stream and play games directly from your Xbox unit.
You can also watch the full video from LoFi Alpaca on the same process.
Which generations of Xbox are compatible with the new app?
The new Xbox app lets you stream games from Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. Xbox 360 generations do not support app streaming.
Plus, old and original Xbox games aren’t streaming compatible either, although you can run them natively on your Xbox player. These limitations are mainly due to the hardware limitations of the 360, which is now over a decade old.
When it comes to legacy games, the effort to make them compatible with current streaming protocols is too high and inefficient when it comes to mass production. We believe the new Xbox app doesn’t support them. . .
I can’t Connect Xbox Controller to iPhone or iPad
If you can’t pair your controller with an iOS / iPadOS device, your Xbox controller’s firmware is probably out of date. Many people might be surprised by this, but yes, the new Xbox controllers come with factory firmware that will receive bug fixes and improvements over time.
However, this update process is not automated and must be done manually, which is why many users often go unnoticed for this feature. Updating the controller firmware to the latest version ensures compatibility with iOS 14 so that you can easily pair your controller. Let’s see how you can update your Xbox controller.
- The things you will need
- Go to your console
- Your Xbox controller
- Your console is connected to the internet
- Data cable (for some Xbox controllers)
- Wireless compatibility
All Xbox controllers released after the Xbox One debut have a wireless connection. However, only some of them have compatible protocols that allow wireless data transmission.
Therefore, if you don’t have a compatible wireless controller, you’ll need to connect it to the console using a micro USB cable. Let’s see how to identify your controller.
First Method: Date of manufacture
If your controller came out after 2015, it likely supports wireless connection. You can check this by looking at the bottom of the controller. If you have a 3.5mm headphone jack, your controller supports wireless updates.
Second Method: You don’t know the date of manufacture?
If you don’t know the exact date your controller was manufactured, you can look for the 3.5mm headphone jack. If your controller has one below, the controller likely supports wireless updates. However, if you don’t have a headphone jack or the old 2.5mm headphone jack, you’ll need to connect your controller to the console with a micro-USB cable.
The Process to Connect Xbox Controller to iPhone
Depending on compatibility, first, connect your controller to the console wirelessly or using a data cable. Once you’re signed in, press the Xbox button on the home screen.
Now use the side buttons on your controller to navigate to the Settings tab in the left sidebar.
Select and open “Settings”.
Scroll down and select Devices & Streaming.
Now select “Accessories” on the right tab.
You should now see the Xbox controller that you currently have paired with your console. Make sure this is the same driver you want to update. Now select the menu symbol “3 dots” at the bottom of the screen.
Highlight your current firmware version and press “A” on your controller to select it.
Finally, select “Update Now”.
And that’s it, the controller should now start updating to the latest available firmware.
The time it takes to complete the update depends on your driver version and your network speed. Ideally, the update should not take longer than 3 to 5 minutes.
After updating the driver, try again to connect it to your iOS / iPadOS device. The process should complete without any problems this time.